The New York Games
by AlwaysEverlark
Summary: The Special Agent, Katniss Everdeen, is transferred to New York after finishing in Quantico and has to solve a case with the unit she had been assigned. Children are disappearing throughout the State of New York. In her unit, Dr. Peeta Mellark is a special consultant, who used to live in the same hometown. AU Modern day. The Hunger Games
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Moving

"This is the last box ..." Gale says while groans of weariness. "What do you have in here, Catnip? all the books from Quantico library? Weights?"

I look up and see Gale with the man I hired to help me with the move, with a huge unmarked box that I don't know what contains. I've brought it from home along with many others, in fact there are more boxes that space, in this small apartment.

_Beside_s, I think, _now this is my new home_.

The summer is starting but the temperature is incredibly high, there is a heat wave that has the city of New York in check these days, and I miss my woods already and the fresh wind that blows through the leaves of the trees.

I quickly say goodbye to the moving company while I see Gale has been sitting in the doorway, red and sweaty because of the effort. He is not used to these temperatures, neither.

"C'mon Gale, thought you were a strong man ... And tough" I joke with him. He looks at me with a scowl and rolls his eyes. "It is late, but do you have time for a drink or something before you go?"

_If I can find something to eat in this disaster,_ I think.

"I don't think so, I still have a 4-hour-trip back home and I want to get some rest before starting my shift."

"In that case it's time to say goodbye, and you know I hate it, so better if we do this fast," I say as I approach for a hug.

He gives me a kiss on the cheek, which lasts more than necessary, and turns around to leave, but at the last minute he turns and smiles while saying concerned:

"Don't be a stranger Catnip. And please, don't get into much troubles, ok?"

And with that, he leaves. I go to the window to see how he reaches his car, without looking up. And I see how it moves away. I know, he didn't want to leave me, not after the last month we spent in the woods, where everything went back to how it used to be between us, or at least, as close as possible. No pressure or reproach, just sharing quiet times for hunting and fishing.

Gale is tall, dark and has the typical gray eyes of our area but they are no less fascinating. He is a handsome man and athletic thanks, in part, to his work as a ranger in the Adirondack Mountains. When I really consider it, it is clear that being in the Adirondack Rangers was always his calling and destiny. Also it could have been my destiny_, it would have been more than a viable option: stay with him in our little town, but_ ... I shake my head with determination to take out that thought of my mind. Some time ago I made my choice and it brought me here.

A path I started walking after the death of my father. I still have nightmares, many nights where I only see blood and I feel fear and confusion, while I look desperately for him, until I find him, lying in the snow, part of his body covered by rocks that fell after the landslide and avalanche. His skin was bluish, possibly due to the silver light of the full moon that shone in the sky. In his face a gesture of surprise and eyes open, some empty eyes that did not reflect any light in his gray eyes.

We had gone to spend the weekend at the cabin near the lake. Just him and me, as we used to do to hunt occasionally. My mother pretended to be jealous and upset because we went without her, but the truth was that she loved our father-and-daughter moments.

A blizzard had begun shortly after arriving at the cabin and my father asked me to be tending the fire, while he went to check the snares that he had put just one day before. The cabin was so cozy. The heat and light radiated from the fireplace was warm, and I started to doze on the couch, tired as I was.

Suddenly a loud and continuous noise woke me right away, I could feel and hear that something was coming, as if the mountain was falling ... An avalanche! I abruptly thought ... And again silence. Full silence, no noise from the night. Fear came over me. I slipped on my worn leather boots and grabbed my jacket and beanie as I went out into the darkness screaming my father's name. That feeling, the feeling of loss that began that night, at that very moment, even when I did not know what I had lost, steeped my DNA till today.

The death of my father, changed my life, my mother's and my little sister's Prim. Not only because of the tragic event and the family drama involving the unexpected and cruel death of a father and husband, but by the situation that led.

My mother was blocked, stopped living and I would say that she even stopped breathing. She didn't get up in the morning to prepare breakfast and school stuff. She did not get up to pick us up. She did not get up to buy or to wash the dishes. Even she didn't get up to go to work at the clinic where she was an assistant.

At first the neighbors helped us, me and Prim, who was 4 years younger and was a naive and charming girl of 7 years old. But as the time went by, they began to ask questions and I was afraid to be taken to a shelter and be separated of my sister. She was my whole life and I couldn't allow it. We ceased to accept their charity saying that, although my mother was still depressed and sad, we were not missing anything with the help sent by our family. The reality was that we hardly had anything to survive. My contempt for my mother grew every day, seeing how she was not able to cope with the loss of my father not even for her two daughters. I saw how the love she had for my father changed her into a weak and small self. We not only lost a father but a mother.

That fact convinced me that I didn't want to get married, I didn't want to love,I did not want to become what she became. It was much safer just cared about Prim.

Again, I have started to wander. I come back to my chores because I do not have much time to fix this catastrophe of boxes and stuff everywhere, before I start working. I empty my purse and find my wallet inside. I open it and see my badge "Special Agent Katniss Everdeen". That's me, just graduated from Quantico Academy and assigned to my first destination. I have worked and studied hard to get me into the New York office, near from the Hospital where Prim works.

I'm taking out of the boxes everything that they contain: clothes, toiletries, some cooking pots and pans. Next to the shelf is a box with a pile of books I had in Quantico, all those books and more that I had to learn at the Academy. Once placed, I breath happy. It took me less time than I expected, although it has already started to get dark. I see that there is only one box near the door. I try to lift it, but it is impossible. Now I understand why it had to be load by two people. I'll get some scissors and open it. I don't remember what contains, but due the weight and just as Gale has suggested, there must be more books.

Once I open the box I stare at it. it is true that there are books, but been years since I saw them. These are the books I left behind when I moved to the University thanks to a scholarship from sports that I got for my skill with the bow.

I grab one of Jane Austen, one of those who made us read in English class "Pride and Prejudice". It opens in a sheet and placed there, I found a dry dandelion. Helplessly, it reminds me to a blond guy with broad shoulders and with the most blue eyes that I remember seeing in my life, even more than Prim's.

Peeta Mellark, I think.

And suddenly I become, again, a 11-year-old girl frightened by the death of his father and distraught because she doesn't know what to do to keep her sister beside her without starving.

It was April, and it was pouring rain, in my desperation I approached the center of town, to the Merchants area, to get food, even from the containers. When I got off to the best known bakery around Albany. The owner, a surly woman saw me and threw me like a dog, but exhausted and soaked to the bone as I was, I could barely turn around the corner and fell down under a tree. I remember thinking it would be best to give up and call to Social Services so they took us to a center or at the end, I would kill Prim of hunger. I began to mourn when I heard a noise close to me. The back door of the bakery opened out and I saw a blond boy who was studying in my same class, Peeta. His mother yelling at him because of the burned bread.

He walked toward the container to throw the loaves but he looked at me. I was watching him because of the bread and because of the red weal that stood out on his cheekbone. Then the boy took one look back to the bakery as if checking that the coast was clear, and he threw the loaves of bread in my direction and he sloshed back to the bakery, closing the kitchen door tightly behind me.

Quickly I took the bread and headed home to share them with PrI'm. That was the first time in months I did not sleep with an empty stomach. The next day, I walked to school with the thought of thank Peeta for his action. An unexpected gesture of kindness in my life.

I wanted to say thank you to him, in part, yes, as gratitude. But the other part because I hate owing people. The rain had cleared at night and the sun looked radiant and spring-like. After the classes we shared, I headed to his direction hesitantly because he was with some friends. But Peeta was always surrounded by friends, he was friendly, warm and extremely popular. He had a talent to make people confortable around him. It would not be easy to catch him another time alone. I plucked up courage and continued my path when he looked up and saw that I was staring at him too, but he turned away his head. I stood there, not knowing what to do, I corrected my gaze to the ground, not knowing if I was embarrassed or something else. And then I saw it. The first dandelion of the spring. And I knew what I had to do to keep Prim safe. I would get into the woods and I could fish, hunt and gather berries and wild fruits and even sell them in the local market.

Hope broke through my body and I smiled for the first time since the death of my father, I picked the dandelion, and I kept it in the book that we had just comment in class, I looked back at the blond boy who had given me hope and made my way home, knowing how I would go on.

Just during one of those trips to the woods is where I met Gale and how by a confusion he thought my name was Catnip and not Katniss. And since there, he named me with this affectionate nickname. Between the two of us and his mother, Hazelle, we started a small stall in the local market where we sold our products and guide services. Our small community was quite tourist during summer months and bank holidays, so many people came to spend a few weeks trekking and hiking in the Adirondacks.

I never dared to approach Peeta and thanked him. When we finished school he went to study psychiatry at Harvard and I stayed in the University of Albany and went for biology. Our paths no longer cross again.

Still, I remember him whenever I saw a dandelion or a strong boy blond and blue eyes. I do not understand why but whenever I think of him I feel better.

* * *

**Thanks for reading this story. As you may know by now, I'm not English nativo speaker, so please, apologize me for all the mistakes. If anyone wants to help me and be my beta for the translation please tell me, I would appreciate it very much.**

**For my Spanish readers, I'm still working on chapter 21 but it is a hard chapter as it is a turning point. So please be patient and "stay with me?" ;-)**

**Please Read and Review!**

**I do not own The hunger Games.**


	2. Chapter 2

TNYG

Chapter 2

The first day

In the end it's late and I have to get up early tomorrow. I leave the last box with books without tidying up and get into the room to sleep. But like many of my nights I sleep just a few hours and wake up from my nightmares, breathing hard. I still have a couple of hours before the alarm sounds but no longer makes sense to sleep again. I can hear as the city wakes up: traffic, car horns, steps of people as they walk, and even birds.

Light starts to go out the window. That's one of the reasons I chose this apartment. It is small: only has one bedroom with attached bathroom and a lounge with kitchen, in the same space. But it has two large windows overlooking a small park and is oriented so that the sun and light enters on it most of the day.

I get up and prepare my coffee while I take a shower, fresh water to take away the heat of this early morning. I put on my gray robe and start to dry my long hair with a towel. It is dark unlike Prim's almost platinum blonde.  
I take my breakfast and I look at the subway map for directions to the office. I approach to the closet and pulled out a navy blue blazer and a white sleeveless chiffon shirt. I braid my hair still wet and grab a pair of shoes and a purse as I head out of my apartment to the subway. I hate it and I hate underground spaces in general, but in New York you can not move otherwise, at least if you want to be on time. Now is when I hope it is worthy to rent a sunny appartment close to a park to make up for the almost fifty minutes I have to be underground to get to work.

I arrive at the FBI offices in Manhattan and show my identity card to the agents in the security point at the entrance. They tell me I should go first to check in with the human resources manager of my unit and they will tell me how to proceed. The truth is that the building is huge, and I'm grateful to have come early so there is not many people around here right now or I would feel even more lost. I get to the lifts and I press the 25th floor, which is where the assistant Effie Trinket is waiting for me, according to what I have been said.

I'm lost in my thoughts, wondering: _how it will feel to be part of a real unit, how I will be welcome by my colleagues, or if they will be another new agent like me._ Suddenly the elevator stops while a beep sounds and I leap on the exit as soon as the doors open without looking at the front.

I stumble against a man in a gray suit who also is trying to get in a hurry on the elevator. With the crash, I let fall my handbag and the documents that I'm bringing to the assistant, I bend down to pick them up while I hear the man mutters behind me: "Sorry, it's an emergency".  
When I gather my stuff I turn around and I look up to the man, frowning with an angry gaze, because he never stopped to help me. Just when the doors of the elevator are about to close, I see an incredible blue eyes staring at me.

I fail to distinguish the man's face although I recognise something slighty familiar and distant in his features. I straighten my clothes and start walking to the right, when I'm in front of the third door, I knock politely. A high-pitched voice tells me to come in. When I enter, a woman with a flashy pink suit, looks at me and says:

"Good morning, Special Agent Everdeen I guess?" I nod and she continues speaking "I am assistant Effie Trinket, I'm in your same unit. I handle the bureaucratic part of your work, so believe me when I tell you that I will be one of your best friends and allies here"

She winks at me and smiles. With that small gesture I feel like my body relaxes and the tension disappears from the room.

"You came early, great. Punctuality and manners are the things I value most in this job. Unfortunately" she says looking up at the ceiling "most of your teammates are not punctual... but to be honest I must say that it is not easy because this office is almost always a mess. Actually, there are not even eight o'clock in the morning and we already have an emergency alert and everyone running up and down the halls."

I nod again, clear my throat and open my mouth for the first time since I came into her office.

"Yes, I've realized. I think I've stumbled into someone that was in a hurry as he left the building"

"Uh well! I suppose you must cross with one of the components of your unit or someone from Behavioal Analysis Unit of Quantico who are here to help us with these cases of disappearances. Now please, let me see your official papers" I hand her the papers,and she reviews them carefully, after that she stamps them and signs on the documents. Finally she gives me a temporary badge.

"We'll finish the formalities later, but your entire unit is in a meeting now. So I'll take you first, to see Director Abernathy and he will introduce you to the members of your team and to attend your first meeting".

_Great_! I think, _it's my first day and I'm already late_, obviously I had no way of knowing that this would happen but anyway my day has not started too well.

Effie gets up from the chair and tells me to follow her. We walked between aisles where the doors seem all alike. If she leaves me here now by myself, I'm not sure if I could retrace my steps, and I was always first in my class in terms of orientation activities, but of course that was on outdoors exercises not in this labyrinth of white walls.

Finally, after what seems an eternity, we stop in front of an office. Effie knocks on the door and after a "come in" that I would qualify between sullen and very sullen, she opens the door and we enter the room.

The Director is a blond man with long and disheveled hair. He is not shaved and looks sleepy. Judging by his appearance and the blankets over the couch on my left, he has spent the night here. It is clear that I don't have to be Sherlock Holmes or a recent graduate agent of the FBI to come to that conclusion.

"Director Abernathy, May I introduce you the new member of the CARD team? Katniss Everdeen" After this brief presentation she passes him my file and turns to leave without closing the door.

After taking a look to the folder and its contents, Abernathy blurts out:

"Wow, you are another daughter of the great State of New York, aren't you? What was the reason to change your damn and quiet mountains by this big city? which probably is most cursed, under what we see here every day?"

"Well Sir, it is because of my sister, she works in a hospital here in New York as a second year intern"

"Well, it has become clear that it is not because you want to work with my Child Abduction Rapid Deployment team"

Before he ends speaking I interrupt him,

"No sir, of course I want to work in child abductions, what I meant was ..."

"Okay Agent Everdeen, I was only joking. But I'm not kidding when I say that I do not want you to interrupt me again" He stops talking. After a moment of silence, he lifts his eyebrow as to give me permission. And I answer embarrased "Yes Sir, you're right, sorry"

After my apology, Abernathy keeps going.

"From what I see in your file, you are a survivor. I hope that, for your sake, because to work here we need very special people. Now , let's go to meet your new team".

He gets up and starts walking with unsteady steps, until he bumps into the table, cursing his luck. Once he leaves the office, reaches to a big meeting room fill with screens and smartboards. There are approximately 8 people, confirming Effie's assumptions that is not just my unit but also the BAU involved. Clearly, the behavioral unit, one of the elite units of the Agency, does not work for some kidnapping case so it looks like my first case it is going to be a big one.

* * *

**Here is chapter 2. Hope you like it.**

**As always rates, reviews and grammatical corrections are welcome. They will help to improve both, my English and the story.**

**thank you! **


	3. Chapter 3

3. Working in a real case.

Director Aberbathy enters the meeting room and I come in behind him.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your new partner: Special Agent Katniss Everdeen. Please, give her a quick update of the cases and let's use all resources that are in our hand to resolve these kidnappings as soon as possible. I expect a report of your progress in the next few hours" He says and then turns around and goes back the way he came.

_Abductions? Plural?_ I think. Well, as I said, the day does nothing but improve.

Everyone gets up to greet me except a woman of about 35 years, with dark hair who remains seated. Introductions are made by a middle-aged man with gray hair and strong features.

"Welcome to the team, Agent Everdeen. I am Boggs, the head of the CHARD and he is the special agent Finnick Odair." Says, pointing at an extremely handsome man with bronze hair and deep green eyes. "Agent Johanna Mason, is the one who didn't stand up. Do not take it personally" says Boggs smiling while Johanna does a grimace and lifts her hand in greeting.

"We also have agent Madge Undersee and our computer genius Beetee. I need to introduce you too, to our special advisor, but he has run out in an emergency. He works as psychiatrist with us and at the Presbyterian Hospital also."

He takes a break and I think it's the same hospital where Prim works. Besides I can not help but see as Johanna winks at Finnick, like there was something more implying his absence that an emergency.

"Delly Cartwright works with us too but had to go down to receive the Mayor's Press Secretary. This case is getting very awful. Finally but not least, from BAU unit in Quantico, Agents Tresh Bailey and Annie Cresta. They are here to help us with these cases."

Once the introductions finished, we sat down again and I have a seat near Finnick. They begin to explain in detail, at what point the investigation is.

"Ten days ago a 12 years girl vanished in the neighborhood of The Seam, located in the Bronx district. Her mother asked her to run some errands from a small store that is only a ten minute walk from their home, if a park is crossed. No one knows anything about her since then. It was late at night. She made it to the store, but never returned home, so she disappeared around 11.30pm. No leads, no evidence at all. It seems that not a living soul saw anything. Truth be told there was not much else to do in this case, until just a few hours ago. A boy of 14 years old disappeared in the same neighborhood when he was delivering pizza riding his bicycle, this time there was a witness who saw how someone got him in a van. The first thing we have to rule out, is whether there is some connection between this two disappearances or abductions as Johanna points. Everdeen and Madge go to the first abducted child house and check if there is a relationship between the two children. Also I would like you both to investigate more in the surroundings of the neighborhood and the store. Finnick and Johanna, I want you to interrogate to the neighbors in the area of the boy's abduction. Annie, you can go with them if you want. I'll stay here with Thresh and Beete. Someone will have to calm down the Mayor and Glimmer".

We get up and Madge tells me to follow her. We go down with the rest of our colleagues to the parking and take one of the cars allocated to our division. Madge heads to the driver's seat when she turns to me and asks in a light tone:

"Do you wanna drive the car?"

"No, the truth is I didn't get to know New York the couple of times I've been here visiting my sister, who works at the Presbyterian Hospital. it will be faster if you drive... And safe" I add.

"Ok" she says as she gets behind the wheel, and we emerge to the town.

The day is glorious, a deep blue sky and a radiant sky framed the high buildings. The environment is the opposite of the office where everything is lit with artificial white light.

Madge is not very talkative, which I think is ok, she asks to me a couple of things as where I am from or what I think about the city so far. After the small talk, she starts to explain me more about the family of the missing girl.

"The little girl is Afro-American. Her name is Rue, and as Boggs commented before she has just turned 12. She comes from a very poor family and is the eldest of five children. Her mother has multiple jobs to support her family since their father deserted them when the last baby was born, about 7 months ago. Rue took care of the house and her siblings while she worked".

I can not help thinking that I lived a similar situation but this one is infinitely more dramatic with 5 little children and a father who left by choice.

"It's here. We have already arrived." Madge says.

We get out of the car and approach to a house which looks very negelcted, even one of the windows is broken and covered with cardboards and plastics. Madge knocks and a woman in her forties opens the door. Her eyes rimmed in red.

"Hello Mrs. Tree could we go in? We need to ask you some questions".

"Do you know anything about Rue? Any clue?" says the woman with hopeful tone, as we enter the sitting room. "Sit down please" says while removing blankets and pillows of a couch that has seen better days.

"To be honest we have nothing new about Rue, but yesterday another child dissapeared in this area and we have a witness who saw how someone forced him into a van. We're trying to confirm whether the same thing could have happened to your daughter or if they are isolated incidents." Madge looks at me and says "Agent Everdeen could you show some pictures of the boy to Mrs. Tree"

I nod and open the folder while I place the pictures of the missing child on the table. I clear my voice and start asking questions:

"Mrs Tree, we would like you to see carefully these pictures. The boy is 14 years old and his name is Paul Maynard. We have already found out that he wasn't attending Rue's school, but could you tell us if he seems familiar to you? Do you think Rue could meet him in any other place? Maybe they were friends or acquaintances"

The woman takes the photos and looks closer at them, one by one, taking her time. But when she finishes, shakes her head.

"I honestly do not remember seeing this kid ever. But if you want we can ask one of my daughters. Daisy" the woman cries as she turns around "could you please come?

A girl comes out of nowhere from behind the curtains, and walks slowly to us. I had not realized she was in the same room, eavesdropping. Clearly she is good at hiding. Daisy looks at the pictures too, but after a few minute, she also shakes her head with a sad look.

Madge says goodbye while we get up to leave when Daisy takes my hand and asks shyly:

"You will find Rue, won't you? I miss her so much. I don't know what to do without her, she took care of everything" she recalls, "I haven't met the boy before, but if you leave me a photo I can inquire at school and in the neighborhood. Possibly they explain more things to me that to the FBI. You know... people don't really like the police too much around here."

I can not help but smile and think that Daisy is a very bright girl. In that moment I have an idea. I bend down on my knees to be at its height and say:

"Daisy, we will do our best, but if you want to help us, Agent Undersee and me are going now to the grocery store that Rue went. Did you know if she always took the same path or if she took a shortcut? It would be easier if we could mark the route to search for evidence. "

"Of course!" she exclaims "I can lead you through the park where I used to go with Rue."

I look at Madge waiting for an approval she gives me almost instantly. And we left the house with the little girl.

Daisy takes us to a secluded and solitary path which crosses the park to the grocery store. Madge and I explore it several times and tag anything that may be of importance, even if ten days have passed: footprints, several cigarette butts and a can of soda. We wait till the crime investigation unit comes to collect them before we left.

When we are ready to go, it has become quite late, it's almost 5.00 pm and we have to return to Manhattan.

"I'm going to call the boys to see if they are at the office already or if they have stopped at Paddy's for a drink. Usually when we have a case as this one, we just go home to shower and sleep a few hours and we take lunch even dinner in the headquarter or down at Paddy's to relax a job can be stressful"

She connects the handsfree and calls Johanna, who confirms that they are taking some beer and nachos.

We arrived at Paddy's hour later and walked into the bar. It is an Irish pub, as it names indicates, with music and not much light. We see the rest of the team at the back, sitting around a table, talking animatedly.

"How was your day, rookie?" Finnick asks.

"All right" I say "I think we've made some progress, but do not know if it matters."

"In fact, Finnick, Katniss had a great idea. Rue's little sister went with us and showed us the path that her sister used to take in the park. So we gathered some evidence that the laboratory have carried to run some tests"

"I'm impressed" Finnick says, and winks and smiles at me. "We have also been able to gather more information about the van. Beetee is looking for matches with recordings of the traffic cameras. By the way, I would like to introduce you Delly Cartwright"

"Hi," says a smiling red-haired girl "I'm Delly, sorry I have not been able to meet you before, but I was with Glimmer updating her with all the details for the press conference. Glimmer, is the mayor's press secretary."

"Geez! That's a description too friendly and simple of Glimmer "says Johanna." but you will see, Delly thinks the best of everyone. But Glimmer is ..."

"C'mon Johanna" says Delly laughing "leave Katniss alone, she will make her own opinion"

Just then a phone rings and we hear Delly talking to someone:

"Yes we are all at Paddy's. Don't be lazy and come here and you will meet the new agent".

"Tell him not be a chick! He is safe, his favorite press secretary is not here" says Johanna says while everyone laughs at her comments.

"He says he come now" says Delly "Katniss, you will love Peeta. He is one of our top consultants. And a gentleman"

Suddenly, I am dumbfounded, not knowing what to say.

_Peeta? Has she just said Peeta?_ I think. _Sure it is not a very common name, but neither he has to be the only Peeta that exists in the world, right? It could be also, that I've understood wrong and she said Peter. _When I notice how Johanna looks at me I close my mouth before saying something.

"I'm going to grab a beer, anyone wants anything else?" And I get up as quick as I can before someone else realizes my confusion.

Fifteen minutes passed before I can order at the counter, as the pub has been filled at this time, but I can't look away from the door. When I am about to go back to our table, I see as the door opens and a man in a gray suit walks in. He heads towards the unit is, while I stop dead, staring at him behind a column. _Damn_, I think he is the same man I stumbled this morning.

He is a blond man around my same age. He could be Peeta Mellark or not. Certainly he is blond and strong like him, but we haven't seen each other in so many years and with the poor light I could not prove me wrong. So I reach to the table while everybody is chatting, and realize that I haven't calm down since I first heard the name of the adviser. Delly looks at me and says:

"Peeta, let me introduce you Katniss".

At that moment the blond man looks up and looks at me. And I no longer have more doubts. I would recognize those eyes anywhere of the world. The advisor of our unit is Peeta Mellark, the boy with the bread.

* * *

**Yes! Finally Peeta is here... and let me tell you he is going to be in almost every chapter at least till chapter 21 (that is all I have written till now in the spanish version).**

**Hope you enjoyed it and please apologize for my grammar errors and lack of vocabulary as I'm spanish native speaker, but I'm doing the best I can with the translation.**

**If anyone wants to help me and review the english version it would be great.**

**Please, read and review, your opinions really matters to me. **

**Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**The boy with the bread.**

"Hello ... Katniss?" Peeta says and shakes my hand.

"Hi" I say in a voice that does not seem mine. I guess, I'm trying to figure out if he remembers me or not. But, why should he remember me? We never talked at school, and although he saved my life, it could be nothing for him. I keep quiet, not knowing how to react. I've never been very good with words and I 'm not sure about giving the impression that I know him... or not. Suddenly I am ashamed of myself.

_Come on Katniss, you're a grown woman and you work in the FBI!_ _Are you not going to talk to Peeta, even now?_ So I make up my mind to take the risk.

"Peeta… Mellark, right?" I ask.

"Yes," he says with a relief sigh.

"I am Katniss Everdeen, if I'm not mistaken we were at school together near Albany. Well "I say after a pause, "I think we even share some classes"

"Of course, I was not sure that you remembered me. The truth is that we did not talk much then" he says while smiling and his face lights up. I'm not sure why, but that smile makes me smile back without hesitation.

We remain silent for a moment as we locked eyes. I wonder what he will be thinking about me, but I can't help thinking, that he is just as attractive and honest as ever. At that time, Johanna interrupts us saying:

"Well, well, this is a coincidence, isn't it? Are you two, really, from that small village of yours Mellark?" She pauses, but quickly resumes "By the way, I think you can already let go your hands"

At that moment I realized I'm still glued to Peeta and force my stiff fingers to open. I can not help but blush, luckily this pub is very dark and no one has been able to see my red cheeks.

"Johanna, I've always said that my small village, as you call it, is not so small. But of course, you'd know that, if I had gotten you out of this city sometime".

"Aw Mellark, you know I'm not a country girl!" She grins mischievously "By the way, before you arrived we were explaining to Katniss why you ran away this morning. Maybe you would like to finish the story..." and sticks out her tongue, mocking him.

Peeta keeps looking Johanna without being intimidated.

"Ok, I had an emergency at the hospital," He explained. "But Johanna, as a good FBI agent, likes sticking her nose in other people's business and see beyond. Just ignore her, half of what she says is not true".

While Johanna gives him a dirty look, all of our phones start ringing with an emergency alert.

"Okay guys," says Finnick "break's over. Boggs wants us to go up to the office."

We head for the door. Paddy's is just one block away from the FBI building. The mood has changed, and the faces are serious. We come back to our floor to meet in the office with Beete and Boggs. Without waiting for us to take a seat, Boggs begins:

"The police has found a dead girl, just hours ago, near the river. We think is our girl. As far as the forensic surgeon identifies the body, he will call us. Someone will have to go and tell what we found to the family. We need that the mother goes to the hospital and officially identifies the corpse. We haven't been told much more, so we need to collect all the information we can. Beete, please keep going with the new data about the van".

"In accordance with the intel we have, which is that the car is a blue van, we really don't have much information. However, we are looking at all the traffic cameras that are closer to the point where the boy was abducted, but this is like finding a needle in a haystack. We are also reviewing the videos of the banks in that district, but we need more videos from other facilities in the area and try to determine which direction they took".

"Peeta and Madge should go and see to accompany her to the hospital. You" says pointing to the rest of us "don't have anything to do here, so go home, until we have new tracks or until 7am".

I hold back my tears and only can think about Daisy's eyes when they tell to her that her sister is dead.

"But I was at their house this morning and would like to go with them" I say.

"Agent Everdeen, for your first day, I think you have had enough, and when I tell you to go home and rest you should take advantage of it. Believe me".

"Boggs, please allow Katniss to come with us. One of Rue's sisters trust her and it would be easier for her" replies Madge.

Boggs seems unconvinced but eventually agrees. The three of us leave the building, and head back to The Seam for a second time in a day.

Peeta and Madge are seated in the front of the car talking about details of the case and I send a whatsapp to Prim, saying that I will be at her hospital in a while.

I can not help looking through the rearview mirror by which I can spy on Peeta. His hair is longer now, it is combed in a casual yet elegant way. His jaw is square and strong and he has high cheekbones. And of course there are his eyes, which are of an inimitable blue, a blue that I still remember. At that time he also looks at me in the mirror and I look down and embarrassed, as if I was spying, but of course that's exactly what I was doing.

The way to The Seam is much faster with the slow night traffic, when Peeta stops in front of the door, we are silent and the tension can be felt inside the car.

"Katniss, it would be better if Peeta notifies the news to the family. He is... well, he knows how to do these things" Madge says.

"Maybe, but I rather not having to do it ever" he says with a sad half-smile.

My heart shrinks and I realize that I am very grateful for not having to do it. We knocked on the door and a woman, a little older than Mrs. Tree, opens it.

"Yes, what do you need?" she says with a tone of distaste in her voice.

"Good night, we're from the FBI and we need to talk with Mrs. Tree. It is really important, could you tell her to come out?"

"Ok, you come in and wait in the living room, please"

We return to the room we've been this morning, which is lit by a single lamp that just gives light, dirty and yellowish.

I keep looking to the curtain where Daisy was hiding this morning, but she is not there now, thankfully. Some minutes later, Mrs Tree is on the doorframe and before we can tell her nothing, she already knows by the seriousness of our faces.

"No" she says yelling out "No..." and falls to her knees while hugging her sister, both of them crying, inconsolable.

Peeta approaches them, and bends down. He grabs by her shoulders and looks deep into her eyes. She stops crying for a moment while looking at him.

"Rose, right?" says Peeta with tenderness in his voice that not to be moved is out of the question. She nods, "Would you mind coming to sit with me?"

He helps her up while squeezes her hand gently but firmly to take her to the couch. I do not know how he did it, but his simple proximity to Rue's mother, his look, his touch, seems to be like a balm and has calmed her down. Peeta begins to explain that we have found a girl dead of the age of Rue that matches the data we have, but she must come with us to the hospital to identify the body.

While Ms. Tree cries inconsolably next to Peeta, I realize someone is touching my hand. When I feel the contact, I know it is Daisy, but I refuse to turn around and face her eyes. Eyes that this morning shone with hope but now will be dead. But I know I have to turn around and face this little girl.

I take a deep breath and turn to her while I kneel, before I can't tell her anything, she hugs me and begins to mourn. I can't help feeling that I've failed, that I could not get to save his sister. And it kills me.

One of the reasons I applied for this job in the CARD unit is because there is something innate in me since the death of my father that makes me want to protect Prim, and these little girls remind me of Prim. In a less romantic level, I am a hunter. And the FBI is perfect place for hunting animals that are capable of killing a 12 year old girl. I pull myself together with that thought and finally I can confront Daisy's gaze with confidence.

"We'll catch whoever has done this, don't worry" I say convinced. She nods

"I have to go up to look after my small siblings, they will be concerned. Thanks Agent Everdeen"

We left the house and come back to Manhattan and the hospital. The forensic's room is in a deep basement. We exit from the elevator and go into a never-ending aisle, illuminated by tubes which gives a white light, and gives it a desolate appearance.

Peeta holds by the arm, but she still wobbles along the hall. I know how she feels, and unfortunately does not make my job easier. Finally we arrived at one doo and Peeta helps Rose to sit down on a bench. He tells Madge to look after her while he goes to talk and fetch the Doctor, Darius. A few minutes go by, when I see Peeta accompanied by a red-haired man with white skin who tells us that we can go inside.

He leads us to a stretcher and lifts the sheet.

"Is this Rue, Mrs Tree?" Peeta asks.

She nods and faints but doesn't fall to the ground because both Peeta and Darius catch her on the fly. When she recovers a little from the dizziness, Peeta goes with her to the emergency room. While Madge and I stay with Darius, who explains a little of his progress, since the official analysis has not yet started.

"What I can tell you is that she died about 48 hours ago, apparently bled to death. She has multiple stab wounds in the body, although none of them is too deep or fatal to cause death. Based on the criminology report, there was a lot of blood and traces of it all around, it seems that the girl was running away from something. But until a few hours I will not have the final results. I hope this helps you for now".

We thank him and walked out. We stop for Peeta in the desk of ER, which is perfect because that's where Prim is doing her rotation. He comes in a minute. While Madge updates him about what Darius has told us, I ask a nurse for my sister, and she calls Prim. I approach them, but only a few minutes or seconds later, I hear my sister yelling my name and pounce on me. I have only time to see a blonde girl in a white coat and a smile from ear to ear before melting into a hug with her.

That is Prim, she is my beloved sister. Quite the opposite to me, she has an easy way and smile. She is tender and outgoing. Since I can remember she always wanted to help others. It is impossible not to love Prim. I smile and squeeze her hands.

"I want to introduce my sister, Doctor Primrose Everdeen" I say with a thinly disguised pride in my voice. "Prim, these are my mates' unit, Madge Undersee and Peeta Mellark."

"A pleasure. I'm Prim Everdeen and I'm not a Doctor yet. Hi Madge, nice to meet you" says and reaches out her hand. She turns and looks at Peeta. "But I already know Doctor Mellark, well not personally, of course" she says blushing. "Everyone in the hospital knows him. He's a kind of hero around here" she ends the sentence with admiration.

_What?_ I think, _What is going on here?_ I consider with a sense of unease. It seems that everything today, all the day long, is been revolving around this man.

"Thanks but it is not such a big deal" says Peeta with a small smile.

Before this weird conversation, at least weird to me, continues, we hear steps and see several doctors and nurses in a hurry.

"Prim, let's go. Ambulances are about to be here. A building has collapsed. We need you!" says one yelling without stopping.

Prim forces a smile and gives me a kiss before she runs off with her colleagues. Right then the room becomes a hive of people and Peeta leads us to another exit.

"Well, may I drive you home? Peeta asks.

"No, it's not necessary" says Madge "Thom has finished his shift and is coming to collect me. Tonight I will stay at his house, as I'm already in this part of the town. See you tomorrow" she says waving her hand and walking away.

"Katniss, I'll take you home in my car if you want".

"Hmmm. No, it is not necessary, I think I'll take the subway," I reply

"Now? it is late. It is not really safe depending on where you go. I know I'm talking to a FBI agent, but still I'd feel better if I take you home".

"No, really, I don't want to be a bother" _And besides_, I think, _I don't want to owe anything more to the boy with the bread._

"Katniss, it is not a trouble. After days like today, with the Rue thing... Well you know what I mean... I am not able to sleep, at least for a while. You'd do me a favor, if I can be busy for a while longer. Maybe that way I could avoid nightmares" says wearily, his eyes sad "To be honest I do not sleep too much"

Perhaps I'm fooling myself, but if this is a favor «for him» and not the other way around, I can let him to drive me home.

"Okay, but I don't live too close from here. I live in Brooklyn" and after a few seconds of hesitation I add "Thanks"

But for the records, I only thank him as a courtesy, because I don't need anyone to accompany me home. I can go by myself, but I'm allowing so he can rest well. Like he was reading my mind, Peeta replies that "thanks to me".

On the way home, in his car, he asks me my address for the GPS and puts on a CD.

"Patrick Doyle" says referring to the music "I love his work. He is a composer, specifically a soundtrack composer. Do you like cinema?"

"Yeah, right, like everyone I guess, though I'm not a great expert"

"Oh me neither!" he exclaims "it is not like I'm mad about movies but I have a large collection at home… for fun. The guys from the unit come home occasionally to do some movie or TV show marathon. Each time one of us chooses what we have to watch. You can not imagine how mad were Johanna, Madge, Delly and Annie the day that Boggs chose a Rambo marathon, five movies in a row. Well, the truth is that I was not very happy with the election neither, but I had to hide it. Team boys after all... you know what I mean".

I realize that we're laughing out loud. How is it possible? We have just left a murdered girl and her devastated mother, one hour ago. _But that is Peeta Mellark's effect_, I say to myself. Back in High school, he got people to feel good. I was always jealous of how much fun and happy his friends' group seemed. Today I have seen it with Rose and now with me. As if that were not enough, both my sister Madge have suggested something similar too. He has managed to dispel the tense atmosphere that may exist between us, after the tough and hard day we've had and after knowing nothing of each other for ten years. Someone has to mention Albany by now, so I decide to ask first.

"Do you usually go home?"

"No, only a few days at Christmas and during summer. I love the sunsets in the mountains in summer. I have not found them anywhere else. Do you go there?"

"Well, at first, while Prim was still at home I used to go every weekend. And so I could continue with our small stall in the market and get some additional money. On holidays I also went there for the touristic and hunt groups. Then Prim went to college and I was accepted in Quantico, and since then I've only been back a few times. The last one, just before coming here. Believe it or not I made the move yesterday and Gale helped me move my stuff".

"Gale and his mother were running the stall with you, weren't they?"

"Yes, Gale is my best friend. Since we met shortly after the death of my father"

By the way, I hope it is not a bad time to bring this up but I heard about what happened to your mother a couple of years ago. I'm really sorry. I wish I could not say it before to you..."

I mutter _a thank you_ in a low voice feeling uneasy but suddenly Peeta says with mischievous voice.

"But of course, I didn't know where you were. We can't say that we talked a lot in high school or that you were paying attention to me. Katniss: the great hunter. I was so intimidated by you" and he starts laughing.

He has done it again, I think with exasperation. How does he get it? After his words of my mother, the car was filled with tension again and I was anxious to get home and to get out of this small space with him, but then, with a few sentences and a smile, we feel new comfortable.

In that precise moment we turn a corner and I recognize my street.

"We're already here, it is a couple of buildings ahead."

Peeta stops the car in front of my door and says goodbye.

"Thank you very much for letting me bring you home Katniss, I think I'm more relaxed now. I think that maybe, maybe I could get some sleep when I get home!"

He shakes my hand to say goodbye and leans over to give me a kiss on the cheek.

Thank you for the ride. See you tomorrow at the office.

I leave the car and head for home. Until I close the door and wave goodbye. Clearly it is a gentleman, as Delly said, waiting for me to be safe. Once inside the portal, I lean on the door, and start thinking about how intense was the day. It is a small world. Yesterday I was thinking about Peeta and his life and today I meet him on my unit. I start my way to my apartment, three floors above, going over the conversations I've had with him: How I think he was relieved when I recognized him at the pub and how amazing he was tonight to communicate Rue's death.

Absorbed in my encounter with Peeta Mellark, I go into my house, and press the button of the answering machine, as I enter the bedroom and put on my pajamas, to see if I can sleep a few hours. The first message is from the manager of the apartment, expecting that everything is ok with it, he explains than in a couple of weeks he will come to check the bathroom's pipes. The second is from Gale.

I freeze when I hear his voice on the answering machine and I do not anticipate anything good:

_"Catnip how you doing? I know we agree to call in a few weeks when you were settled and had something to tell, but I could not help it. But get back to our town, see your house, go into the woods and feel your absence, has made me realize that this is not right._ _I miss you, you already know that. And even we weren't supposed to talk about what happened after the death of your mother ... well, I do not agree with that anymore and I need to talk to you, about us._ _I know you, and I know you're going to hate me when you hear this. So I rather leave a message for you to ponder. I'll call you in a few days. I'm sending you a kiss. Bye "_

I collapsed on the bed, after hearing the message. _No_, I think, _I can't deal with this now. It is too much: the case, New York, the murder, Peeta, Gale..._

I push the whole thing out of my mind because for some reason Gale and Peeta do not coexist well together in my thoughts. Fortunately I'm exhausted and before I can think of anything more, I just fell asleep half-dressed.

* * *

**HI! I'm here again with chapter 4. Hope you enjoyed, this is one of my favourites chapters.**

**As always, I'm sorry for any mistake. And I want to thank to all the people who is following this story, means a lot to me.**

**Please review, your comments are always welcome, anf if someone wants to help with the "translation thing" please raise your hands.**


	5. Chapter 5

5. A DINNER WITH PRIM

There is too much sunshine coming through the window to be 5.30, I think sleepy. _Oh no! Oh no! Damn!_

I jump from the bed. I should be in the office at 7am. I look at the clock and mutter... _Oh no! Already 6.15am! I'll be very late on my second day._

There is no time for a shower now, so I redo my braid the best I can. I put on a pair of jeans, a white shirt and a gray jacket and run out without even makeup. I blame Gale, Peeta and whoever crosses my mind this morning. I go running in the subway and pounce on the train before the doors close. I sit down, still nervous and oh no! Oh no! I'm wearing only a sock... _Oh come on! This is not fair!_

When I get to the office, everyone has been there already, of course. I walk into the room like a whirlwind.

"I'm Sorry, so sorry. I don't know how I didn't hear the alarm. I overslept but it won't happen again. Oh my God I'm really sorry Boggs ... I rushed from home, and I'm even not wearing one of my socks!"

All of them, every single one, burst to laugh. Boggs tells me I've been only fifteen minutes late, and that they haven't started yet.

"You have not been the only one who has overslept this morning. It is quite common in this unit unfortunately, and we already have a protocol for these cases. Besides, you are under control Everdeen, we know where you live..." He says with an amused voice "But this will teach you to go home when you have been ordered to do that by your supervisor. We had not started yet. So sit while Beete updates us."

"Good morning to everyone. Mellark, can you hear me well with the hands free?" Beete questions in the air.

My humiliation is even more complete when I hear Peeta at the phone. Why on earth did I speak of my socks?

"Loud and clear, good morning to all" he pauses for a moment and continues "Hello Katniss, if you need I can send you a pair of socks, just tell me what type you need and a messenger will be there in minutes" he says mocking me.

Of course everyone laughs with the wisecrack, except me, at that moment I scowl and I just want to grab him by the neck. How I had come to believe that this man was charming?

"Come on Katniss, do not frown. It's a joke. After all, you're the rookie. I'm really sorry, I apologize. I won't tease you anymore."

It seems that he can see and know what I think, just like last night. He ends the sentence with such a lovely voice full of regret that I can't help but laugh like everyone, finally.

"Well, that is enough for a break. Let's start. Rue's report has been sent by the hospital. As Darius told you yesterday night, the girl was dead around 48 hours before she was found, bled to death from multiple cuts. The hypothesis is that she was running away, since we found traces of blood up to a pier on the river. She had to get there swimming because she had substances and products of the river stuck on her skin and hair, so we can assume that she was held prisoner somewhere upstream or in a boat. Other than that, the only significant thing is that she had a fresh red-hot iron mark with the number 11 on one of her thighs. We also found, near where she died something that she tried to write with her bloody finger. You can read "tri". There are more than 650 words in English that begins by "tri", and that, we do not know if it's the beginning, middle or end of the word. I will give you a list."

"For now, our best clue is a blue van, anyone wants to watch the videos?" Boggs says.

Given the apparent lack of volunteers to the most monotonous work, I know ,that as a freshman, it's going to be me the one chosen, so why don't score some points with my mates?

"I volunteer" I say.

"Okay, then Katniss and Johanna. Everdeen, I'll assign you with each of the members of the unit during these days and you will have the chance to work with all" Boggs explains" That is, all of them will be sitting next to me to watch hours and hours of recording just in case we could find, not a blue van because there are thousands, but a license plate in "the blue van". "The rest, investigate the leads from Beetee and keep speaking to all: family, friends and even acquaintances from the two children."

Johanna and I are going to a room to watch the videos on the screens. The task is not too complicated, so Johanna, which is not the discreet type, starts to push around questions and give me information on who's who in the unit and how they work and interact.

"Hmmm, I've never really met him, but I knew him by sight from the school. We never talked much, I guess we were not in the same social circle, he was always surrounded by people, he was very popular ... you understand what I mean, don't you?"

"Oh, of course, Mr. Popularity! No matter where he goes, he is always surrounded by people. For a reason he was on the New York's Most Eligible Bachelors, until Glimmer appeared in the scene ... I guess this year he will be in the list again," she says laughing out loud.

"So they were dating and broke up?" I ask with a curiosity that it is not like me. Generally the life of others, especially if we talk about the romantic life of the people, does not matter to me, but I excuse myself thinking that, this case is different, because we have known each other for ages, and I've always considered, since the day of the bread, tied to him somehow.

It is not, by no means, that I'm interested in him.

"Yes, they were together for about a year. We never knew what happened, but since then Glimmer is trying to date him again and Peeta leaves in a hurry whenever he sees her, as yesterday morning. He is a gentleman and never would tell us ... and I assure you that we have not stopped asking" says winking. Suddenly she gets serious and adds "I never understood well, we never understood how Peeta could be with her, apart from the obvious I mean. But that's not him, at all".

"It seems that you know him very well".

"Yes, Peeta and I studied together at Harvard. This is one of the reasons he agreed to be an adviser of our unit, because of our friendship"

After this talk. We silently watch the recordings. Johanna goes down for a moment to buy some sandwiches and salads for lunch and I take the chance to call Prim and meet her for dinner.

After several hours, we have managed to identify about 30 blue vans that could match the description we have. We pass that information to Beetee, to see what he can find.

About 5.30pm, I'm getting ready for my appointment with my sister, when Boggs tells me that tomorrow I'll be on the night shift, so I don't have to go to the office until 6pm, although my mobile has to be connected. It is the standard procedure when we are working on a case.

This gives me something more than twenty-four hour for myself. The maximum free time, that I have had since I arrived to New York City.

Just 3 days ago? I wonder.

I think I've been here for weeks by the intensity of all that has happened. Well, tomorrow I will take advantage of the day to do some sports and look for a gym, I think with optimism. Running always relaxes me.

The Greek restaurant that Prim has chosen, is very close to my office, and about twenty minutes on foot, so I decide to walk and start getting familiar with New York.

When I arrive, my sister is already sitting on a chair next to the window. I approach from her back and kiss her head as I used to do when she was a little and tender girl.

"Hi little duck" I say.

"Katniss, don't you think I'm a little older to call me that? By the way, I ordered for the both of us. I hope you don't mind, but since I have to go to the hospital in a little while, it was the best option".

She is trying to look upset and angry with me but I know that she loves her nickname. It's our little game. For many years, even when my mother was alive, we were just her and me.

Prim quickly starts to talk about the hospital: shifts, the cases that she has taken and about her companions. We eat a Greek salad with a smooth conversation but when we begin with the second dish, an appealing moussaka, Prim looks at me with a deep expression:

"Rory told me that Gale helped you with the moving from home and Quantico. I know you don't like to talk about it or about him anymore, but how is everything with Gale?"

I should have guessed that Rory, one of Gale's little brothers, would talk to Prim, and that my sister would follow this subject closely. I had not been thinking about Gale or his message today and the truth is that I feel a little guilty for not having returned his call, or at least, sent him an email or message but I can't think of anything else besides my work, and Gale has no right to ask me for more explanations right now. "This", he and I, happened ages ago and now I'm not ready for a relationship. I can't focus on him or my romantic life.

"Prim, there is nothing to tell about Gale. Please, I don't wanna start with this matter again"

"Okay, alright! Someday you'll have to talk about men with me or another human being. You're in the FBI not in a convent ... you know it, don't you? But okay, let's talk about work then" she says with a casual tone while lookingat me mischievously. I can already imagine where she wants to get with this conversation so I interrupt her.

"Oh no, Prim! There is no way we are going to talk about... " But I shut up my mouth before saying "him".

"About what? I was just going to ask you how goes the case" she says in an innocent voice. So I calm down and lower my guard.

"The truth is that for my first case, it seems to be difficult, and we already have our first victim. It's going to be tough".

"What about your mates? Are they helping you?"

"Yes, they all look very professional and nice"

"You can say! if all your FBI colleagues are like Peeta Mellark it doesn't surprise me. All women in the hospital have a crush on him"

I roll my eyes because somehow I knew my sister would not give in without a fight. But of course, if I didn't want to talk to her about Gale, no way I'm going to talk about Peeta with her.

"To be honest, I don't know him that much, so I can't tell anything about him. He's okay, I guess. Yes, he is nice" I comment with an evasive answer.

"Come on Katniss, do you think I'm stupid? Peeta is the boy with the bread. Though you never directly tell me about him or you never refer to him by his name, I always knew who the boy with the bread was. You have never been good pretending... And you always looked at him when we passed near their bakery back from school".

I look at her surprised, mouth-opened, not knowing what to say. I cover my face with my hands while I notice that I'm turning red. Well, my naive little sister it is not so naive anymore. I frown, but I can't be angry with her. When she sees my face she tells me:

"No more talk about guys if that is what you want. But Katniss, you don't have many friends, and even if you think that you have enough with your work, yours is a hard work and you will have to lean on someone sooner or later. As far as I know, Peeta would be a very good choice. He is a good person... and really handsome"

As I don't know what to say, I change the subject by asking her about her roommates who are always a great source of anecdotes. My sister forgets the issue, at least for now, and starts to explain something funny that Sarah did last weekend.

Maybe Prim is right, and I need to open up to someone and have a friend in this city. Peeta would be a great choice I'm sure of that: we have a common past and at some we care about each other. Even though, that is too much to say.

But he scares me because good people always have a way to get to my heart ... and this, in the case of Doctor Mellark, seems very dangerous.

* * *

**Please, reviews are much appreciated! What do you like more? And less? hope to hear from all of you**


	6. Chapter 6

6. The Museum

Next day I don't get up too early. In the end, I don't have to go to work until 6 pm and yesterday night I had nightmares again. So I stay in bed until late morning, enjoying the peace and quiet of my house.

When I finally get up, I decide to call Gale. Someday I'll have to talk to him. But I lost courage soon and I only send him a message.

_«We are deeply involved in a case of multiple disappearances. I know that we need to talk, but not now. Give me more time»._

This is as much I can honestly give.

I go out looking for a gym and I come across a center of "Hot Yoga". Ok, I say to myself aloud, as I'm trying to "take chances", let's try this. I come in and stay for the next class. What's most surprising is not that I'm relaxed and feeling great when the sesion finishes but almost from the beginning I've felt that way.

I decide that I'm going to combine running with yoga. Very proud of myself for this step forward. I go up home and review several notes from the case while I am eating a quick salad. I dress with more care than yesterday, trying not to repeat the sock issue. For a night shift reviewing videos, I wear casual trousers and a thin white half sleeve shirt. About the hair I am too lazy to dry it with this heat so I leave it down.

Although I'm early, I am not surprised to find Finnick already there. In this unit, it seems no one has its own life ... or at least, they don't have their own home.

With his usual mocking style, which I begin to know, he asks me if Johanna yesterday interrogated me about every minimum detail of my life.

"I suppose so, although she almost gave me more information about you."

"Ow! You know then that Annie and I are engaged?"

"Hmmmm, no. We focus more on Peeta and press secretary ... what's her name again? Oh yes, Glimmer, right?" Maybe I'm behaving like a teenager but I don't want them to think that I care because I do not care at all and I nod my head to reinforce my mental affirmation "Well Congratulations! I knew nothing".

"We will throw an engagement party soon, I'm sure Annie will delighted to invite you. Hopefully by then, this case will be closed".

We start to watch videos and more videos, especially traffic videos. It is a dull and heavy job. But it seems that today we will finish it.

Around 9pm the phone rings and Finnick leaves the room to answer the call but he quickly reappears.

"We're leaving. We have to check first to Boggs. Pick me up at the exit. I'll tell you the way."

I jump out of my chair, filled with adrenaline, it's clear that something important happened. I head down to the garage to take the car and go out to collect Finnick. Just thirty seconds later he appears and running he enters into the car almost leaping.

"Go to the MOMA, I'll give you directions".

The call he has just answered was from Peeta. He thinks that two children, siblings: brother and sister more specifically might be vanished from the event he was attending in the the MoMA. When we reach our destination we parked in the place reserved for official cars and entered into the museum. Everything is full of posters about the "Mellark Foundation for young prodigy artists". So Peeta, not only works at the hospital, and as an advisor to the FBI but also has an artistic foundation. I begin to see the truth of his words about not sleeping.

We stand at the entrance of a gallery, when I see "them" coming towards us, Peeta and Glimmer. She is wearing an amazing gold dress that leaves little to the imagination and that must be worth as much as I earn in a whole month, her high-heeled shoes are incredible if I wear them, I would walk like a duck and would be dizzy because of the height. At that time I think of my baggy pants and my hair uncombed.

As they approach, she catches his arm. Maybe Johanna was wrong, and the "Golden Boy" of New York was again dating someone. Of course, I agree with Johanna that she does not seem to be the ideal woman of a man like Peeta, although by Finnick's obvious face it is sure that men have a different opinion. That's one reason why I've never fallen head over heels for a man. They are too predictable. I notice that the situation has made me quite uncomfortable.

"Hi, thanks for coming to both of you. I'll give you a quick update. It might be nothing, but it's pretty weird. The Lyudens came to the event with their two children, a 13 year old boy and her sister, she is 15. Around two hours ago, they were sent back home in the limousine service that we hired for this event.

Their parents began to worry when they called them without answer. Then they contacted their domestic servant and the concierge but they have confirmed that the children had not arrived. They called the police, firefighters and hospitals to check for an accident, but by now there is nothing".

"It doesn't fit well in with the other disappearances" says Finnick "Besides, two children from the upper part of the city would call much more attention than two children from the Seam. I'm not saying that there's nothing Peeta, but this may be a kidnapping for money"

"I hope so!" Glimmer interrupts in an arrogant way "I do not want to have to explain that this is the work of the same person, and less without clear evidence."

"I don't know" Peeta keeps saying "I have a bad feeling about this. If you don't mind I will go back to the office with you."

Glimmer looks at him with a pout on her face, I can understand that male sex considers it adorable, but for me it is as if I was given a kick in the gut.

"I'm sorry, Glimmer" Peeta says cautiously "but we will take that drink another day."

The three of us turn around and leave the museum. Truth be said, the farewell between Peeta and Glimmer has been colder than anything else, I think as a smile escapes my mouth.

"What was that Mellark? ...Glimmer again? Well done boy!" Finnick laughs out loud.

"Odair doesn't jump to conclusions. This was an event, a party of the foundation and there had to have be someone from the Mayor's office ... And it seems, that she was the only one available. Would you mind if we go first to my apartment to change my clothes?"

The truth is that with Glimmer by his side, and worried about my own appearance, I had not noticed it. He is wearing a tuxedo that fits his body like a glove and his hair is combed in a more formal way that the last few days.

_No wonder why the explosive blonde or my sister's hospital mates are crazy about this man... Wait what? What did I just think?_

I start to blush.

"Katniss, you've been quiet so far. What do you think?" Finnick asks me.

There is no way I am going to explain what I was thinking to them and to him. So adopting a professional pose I say:

"It might be too early to draw conclusions and perhaps this all is a coincidence, but in The Seam a boy and a girl disappeared, and now here too. I'm with Peeta that this is strange, and I also have a bad feeling. Anyway, if their vanishing is a kidnapping, it won't take long for to us to discover. Someone will contact the parents for a ransom, before or after. "

We have reached Peeta's, which is very close to the MOMA, and directly across from Central Park ... I can't suppose how much it can cost!. When he inserts the key in the elevator and press the top floor, it no longer surprises me.

The apartment is a duplex in the upper east side of Manhattan, decorated in a minimalist way, but it shows good taste everywhere you look. I look at the paintings, mostly canvas, that give a touch of color and cheer to the decor in white, black and silver dominating the lounge. The paintings are abstract, warm and absorbent. They are really mesmerizing.

"I only need five minutes to change clothes, make yourselves at home," he says as he climbs the stairs.

He must be kidding, right? My apartment is smaller than his living room.

Of course this is not like being at home, at all! I approach the window where Finnick is, despite how much I dislike heights, to see the amazing views of Manhattan and its skyline. It's so awesome that takes away my breath. Few views except my mountains, have made me feel so small.

Maybe, after all, New York is not so bad.

* * *

Hi, hope you like this chapter is more focus on the case that on Peeta and Katniss, but soon they will have some moments together. So please, keep waiting :-)

I would love to hear from you, so please can you leave a review?

Thanks to all for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

7. More Kidnappings

When we got to the office it is almost 11 pm although everyone is there, even to my surprise Director Abernathy, which intimidates me enough.

"I have a bad feeling about this case," he says.

He is the third person who expresses aloud his suspicion on this case. Anybody outside the FBI, would think that we are less analytical, but in the academy, they teach us to follow the evidence but our instincts too, and about intuition, I know a lot.

I remember once I was in the woods with Gale and was also the beginning of a warm summer. We had gone to the lake to cool off after checking the day was peaceful and slow. My favorite days are the ones that pass slowly, like the easy flow of a heavy river, slowly but surely.

The lake was a place that brought me bittersweet memories, mostly related to my father. The best times I spent with him were here, but the lake also reminded me of his death. I guess that is why I always felt a little uneasy here, however everything was erased when I dive into the water. I loved to lie up floating, feeling where the sun was kissing my skin, listening to the silence across the water and imagining the waves rocking me softly, like in the ocean.

Only one I had seen the sea. It was during a trip with our high school, but it had been engraved forever in my mind: the velvet touch of the warm sand under my feet, the sound of the waves, and the feeling that you were caught between earth and heaven.

When we finished our swim, I was relaxed and calm, but just a few minutes later a shiver ran down my spine. I didn't know why but something had changed and the air around us was tense. As the quiet before the storm.

Gale, oblivious to everything, kept talking about where to place our snare lines, the routes we should cover if we opened our guide service... I made him shut his mouth, my finger to my lips in a gesture of silence. I grabbed my bow and an arrow, ready to shoot. Gale did the same thing, seeing that the situation was serious. The response came hardly a few seconds later, when suddenly we heard a grunt and a huge and a gigantic bear ran out of the forest towards us. Without stepping back, we started to shoot, but the bear was inevitably in our direction, until finally I hit it in the eye.  
The bear finally stopped and turned back disappearing among the trees. We ran to the nearest ranger station to inform them of the bear attack and that it was wounded. It was true that we hunt, but never a noble and wonderful animal. Bears were respected in Adirondack, one of our prides.  
Thankfully they found our black bear, late that day, with my arrow still nailed. They managed to reduce and heal it. The bear ended up being one-eyed, but the story began to circulate among the residents and tourists, and gave me a certain fame that came in handy for our small business.  
Gale always said we had a stroke of luck, but I knew there was something more beyond luck.

This kind of intuition, seems that is also shared with Haymitch and Peeta and unfortunately, leads this case to anything good. If finally our fears come true, we are talking about 4 kidnapped children, one murder ... and no consistent evidence.

"Beetee, lets's start with the cameras of the museum and apply the facial recognition program. I want all of you to review the file of each one who attended at tonight's event. And tomorrow, all of you have to begin to interrogate them. If finally they have been kidnapped for money and there is no relationship with Rue and Paul's case, I think I could breathe again. But if in 24 or 48 hours we know nothing, we must assume that it is the same individual and we will have to face a psychopath. Peeta, tell us what you remember about the party, please".

Peeta got up from the chair and walked around the table, he position himself at the front, opposite of the screens. I noticed that he looked tired and had dark circles. He took a breath and after a pause he began his story.

"It is the annual gala of the Mellark Fiundation. Each year, we endow a scholarship to ten young artists, we pay their studies and we organize a series of exhibitions. The year ends with a selection of their works for a charity auction at the MOMA. This is the third year it is conducted by our foundation. I can't remember anything unusual, nor any incident. I guess there was many people and I dedicated myself to talking to my guests. I think the better idea is to ask my assistant for the will be able to send us the names of all the providers and will check with security if everything was quiet as I recall. Sorry, I'm not much help".

I stare at Peeta and I realize that I recognize the look in his face, he is pretending that he is calm and keeps his voice steady and strong. But I know, somehow, he feels when he won the State Championship to his brother. Peter belonged to the school wrestling team and was one of the best fighters. One of his older brothers, Hunk, was also a member of the same team. Generally, they ranked first and second in the Regionals. His brother always won, as he was almost two years older and stronger and he was clearly bigger in size.

That year the event was in our city, in our gym. Both Prim and I, as Gale and his siblings went to see the little ones were excited, because besides of an afternoon of competition, and fight was an important sport in Albany, we had promised them to treat some popcorn and a soda. So it was like Christmas or a birthday for them, because we used to have no money for this kind of extravagance.

When our team came into the pavilion, everyone stood to applaud. All of them, walked towards the ring with a face of concentration, but Peeta, who did nothing more than look at the audience as if looking for someone... nervous. Several girls from our grade greeted him effusively. Sure, he was looking for one of those girls' eyes, wanted to find her glare.

At one point, before starting his first fight, he looked back into the stands and noticed me, which was not surprising at all because Rory, Vick and Prim were bawling like mad. They were definitely the loudest of the pavilion.  
The competition was ongoing and Peeta was passing rounds as expected, until he reached the final and had to compete against Hunk. The first period was like an exploration, I guess because the two of them knew each other so well. But in the second, Peeta took the initiative, and a few seconds before the end, he managed to immobilize his brother who could do nothing. When he won the fight, we were all jumping of joy. It had been a big surprise, and Peeta was much appreciated than his older brother in our high school. In the medal ceremony, Hunk refused to shake hands with Peeta. He looked toward I was seated and smiled sadly. With the lights off it was impossible that he could distinguish someone... or me, I thought with a quiver, possibly due his dejection face. When the ceremony finished, we went into the cold night. We haven't walked a hundred yards when I noticed that I had left my scarf. I asked them to keep going way home while I went back for it.

I entered in the dark hall. An eerie silence reigned, especially when compared with the sound of hundreds of teenagers that were cheering up just few minutes ago. Finally I got to our seats and found my scarf under my seat. I picked it up and started going out into the hallway when I heard them. They were having an argument. Hunk told Peeta that this tournament was a great opportunity to be recruited by a scout who could give him entrance to a good college and that he had ruined his future. Peeta defended himself and muttered something under his breath, but his brother laughed scornfully as he left the hall slamming the door. I kept hidden behind the lockers, but I could not help but stick out my head and look at him. His eyes were filled with a mixture of guilt and pain. The same eyes that I was seeing in him now.

Surprised, I realized that I have not been oblivious to him either and that I have kept track of the boy with the bread from a distance. Peeta, Johanna and Madge are ready to go the Luyden's residence to wait for a call and to search in the rooms of the children, just to see if they find any indication of their last days. I can't keep myself under control before I approach him and say:

"You know it's not your fault, don't you?"

He looks at me tired and says:

"I'm sorry, but I can't help thinking that I am responsible for what happened. They were my guests and my employees. It was my party. I should have been more thoughtful. Anyway, thank you very much for your concern ..."

He smiles tilting his head and I feel a sting in my heart in a way that I don't know how to define. Like from that memory in the gym when we were teenagers. I don't want to make a big deal so I blame what I felt to his empathy and his ability to convey emotions, that somehow, reaches to the people around him.

Once they leave, the rest of us stay and review the data from the different contractors for the gala by Cecelia, Peeta's personal assistant. The limousine company, is what interests us most. It is called Panem Lim and is part of a holding company called Capitol Enterprises. The night goes witjouth any fresh news.  
About 4 in the morning we are called from the Police Headquarters in New York because they have found an abandoned limousine in the north of the city and a body that could be the driver who's been shot in the temple. The children do not appear though, but they tell us that they have to comb in more detail the whole area.

When we arrived the criminal department is already examining the place. It could not be more dark and dirty and it is located in an abandoned industrial area. I suppose that not even rats would live here.

The scientific police have found nothing: no fingerprints, no skin debris, no more blood ... the stage is clean as a whistle, but at the rear window of the car, we found a number 10 painted.

I feel a shiver run up my spine. I feel a shiver run up my spine . We are definitely facing something darker that a normal kidnapping.

* * *

First of all, many thanks for reading, and for the follows, favourites and reviews.

Hope you like this chapter, it is mainly focus on Katniss memories, although we go forward a little on the case. During next chapter a very important character of THG universe will enter the picture... And personally I love chapter 9, so please stay with me in this journey.

Please, don't be shy and leave your reviews, I really appreciated your feedback and oppinios, and help me to keep going with the posting of this story in English as the translation from the original in Spanish is being a huge work. Thanks to Sara who is helping me with that.

:-)

see yoy in next chapter which is called Capitol Enterprises


End file.
